Personnel

CREW



2nd Lt Leon R.Morgan               P     CPT 24/4/44 Friedrichshafen

2nd Lt Ralph O.Ward                CP    CPT 24/4/44 Friedrichshafen

2nd Lt Robert E.McCormick     NAV   CPT  24/4/44 Friedrichshafen

2nd Lt Albert P.Rule              BOM    KIA    6/3/44 BERLIN          (With crew of A.F.Amiero) SEE BELOW

 T/Sgt Maynard L.Lobb           TTE   CPT    4/6/44 BOULOGNE    (With Lt Lunsford Crew)

 T/Sgt Tony L.Verdusco         ROG   CPT 24/4/44 Friedrichshafen

S/Sgt David C.Lyon,Jr.           BTG  CPT  24/4/44 Friedrichshafen

S/Sgt Hugo C.Kleckner            WG   CPT   7/6/44 Nantes

S/Sgt Kenneth R.Lash            WG    CPT 24/4/44 Friedrichshafen

S/Sgt Ernest R.Gomez            TG    CPT  24/4/44 Friedrichshafen



349th Sqdn. Crew #42 As above joined the 100th BG in late Nov. 1943 0r 1/12/43

Letter from Leon Morgan of 4/12/87 says Al Rule removed from crew when

toggaliers were being phased in and then flew with lead crews.



A S/Sgt Sam J. Laface,toggalier, is listed on this crew in March 1944.



Morgan has lost track of all crew members except Hugo Kleckner who lives in

Two Rivers,Wisconsin



Letter to Jim Brown (100th Historian from Leon Morgan in 1987)



    Dec. 4, 1987

Dear Jim,



     George Flanagan brought over a copy of your 100th

Bomb Group Comnbat Record with your note attached and asked

that T answer it.



     He confirmed the fact that Tim Cavanaugh was killed in

a crash, but he said Chaney was not.  He said Chaney- was

alive the last time he knew, but he has had no word of his

whereabouts at this time.



     You asked about the date of my crew's arrival at Station/'139.  I can't give you the axact day, but it was in the latter part of November, 1943.



     Members of the original crew were:



     2nd Lt. Leon R. Morgan, pilot

     2nd Lt. Ralph 0. Ward   Co-pilot

     2nd Lt. Robert E. McCormick, navigator

     2nd Lt.  Albert P. Rule, Bombardier

     Sgt Maynard L. Lobb  Engineer

     Sgt. Tony Verdusco.  Radio

     Sgt. Hugo Kleckner  WG

     Sgt. David C. Lyon Jr. BT

     Sgt. Kenneth R. Lash ,Jr. WG

     Sgt. Ernest R. Gomez  TG



     Rule was taken off the crew during the togglier phase of the war and was flying with one of the lead crews

when he went down over Germany. I think he was on the sameplane as Col. Kelly.



     The only member of the crew with whom I am in contact is Hugo Kleckner.  He is living in a house within sightof the house where he was born and grew up in Two Rivers,Wisconsin.  The rest of the gang has vanished into thin air.



     I was fascinated by your description of the exploits of the Squawkin' Hawk.  I flew my first mission in it with Lt.Gossage and my last mission in it over Fredrickshaven, and I saw it lose most of its tail one day over france and still come home safely.  Some of my crew came home with it for the bond tour (June, 1944).



     I hope this information is  helpful to you.



                                       Sincerely,





                                     

                                       Leon R.Morgan





MISSIONS OF CAPT. LEON MORGAN (INCOMPLETE)



Date Crew Nbr Mission Nbr Last Name Initial Rank Position Aircraft Nbr Target

3/3/1944   42 122 MORGAN L.R. LT P 987 HORNY II BERLIN

3/4/1944   42 123 MORGAN L.R. LT P 957 HORNY II BERLIN

3/6/1944   42 124 MORGAN L.R. LT P 957 HORNY II BERLIN

3/7/1944   42 125 MORGAN L.R. LT P 957 WERL (SCRUBBED)

3/8/1944   42 126 MORGAN L.R. LT P 37783 BERLIN / ERKNER PLANT

3/13/1944 42 128 MORGAN L.R. LT P 957 HORNY II NOBALL/ 11 (SCRUBBED)

3/15/1944 42 129 MORGAN L.R. LT P 957 HORNY II BRUNSWICK

3/16/1944 42 130 MORGAN L.R. LT P 957 HORNY II AUGSBURG

3/17/1944 42 131 MORGAN L.R. LT P 957 HORNY II MUNICH

3/18/1944 42 132 MORGAN L.R. LT P 957 HORNY II MUNCIH

3/23/1944 42 135 MORGAN L.R. LT P 607 BRUNSWICK/ WAGGUM

4/9/1944   42 143 MORGAN L.R. LT P 31249 MISS CARRIAGE KRZESINKI (POSEN)

4/10/1944 42 144 MORGAN L.R. LT P 31249 MISS CARRIAGE  RHEIMS/ CHAMPAGNE

4/11/1944 42 145 MORGAN L.R. LT P 31249 MISS CARRIAGE  POSEN / ROSTOCK T.O.

4/12/1944 42 146 MORGAN L.R. LT P 710 SCHEUDITZ (RECALL)

4/13/1944 42 147 MORGAN L.R. LT P 31249 MISS CARRIAGE  AUGSBURG

4/24/1944   42                                                                                  FRIEDRICHSHAFEN



*********************************************************************************************************

MISSIONS OF T/SGT LAFACE



Date Crew Nbr Mission Nbr Last Name Initial Rank Position Aircraft Nbr Target

3/3/1944 42 122 LAFACE S J T/SGT TOG 987 BERLIN

3/4/1944 42 123 LAFACE S J T/SGT TOG 957 BERLIN

3/6/1944 42 124 LAFACE S J T/SGT TOG 957 BERLIN

3/7/1944 42 125 LAFACE S J T/SGT TOG 957 WERL (SCRUBBED)

3/8/1944 42 126 LAFACE S J T/SGT TOG 37783 BERLIN / ERKNER PLANT

3/13/1944 42 128 LAFACE S J T/SGT TOG 957 NOBALL/ 11 (SCRUBBED)

3/15/1944 42 129 LAFACE S J T/SGT TOG 957 BRUNSWICK

3/16/1944 42 130 LAFACE S J T/SGT TOG 957 AUGSBURG

3/17/1944 42 131 LAFACE S.J. T/SGT TOG 957 MUNICH

3/18/1944 42 132 LAFACE S.J. T/SGT TOG 957 MUNCIH

4/9/1944 42 143 LAFACE S J T/SGT TOG 31249 KRZESINKI (POSEN)

7/20/1944 06 164 LAFACE S.J. T/SGT TTE 37655 MERSEBURG

7/28/1944 06 168 LAFACE S.J. T/SGT TTE 97071 MERSEBURG

8/3/1944 06 172 LAFACE S.J. T/SGT TTE 97806 TROYES (RAIL YARD)

8/4/1944 06 173 LAFACE S.J. T/SGT TTE 31986 HAMBURG (OIL)



*********************************************************************************************************



CREW



1st Lt Albert F.Amiero              P    KIA   6/3/44 Berlin

F/O Howard L.Kilmer            CP  KIA   6/3/44 Berlin

2nd Lt Albert P.Rule          NAV  KIA   6/3/44 Berlin

S/Sgt Thomas S.Elliott        BOM   KIA   6/3/44 Berlin

T/Sgt John J.Kovacs         ROG  KIA   6/3/44 Berlin

T/Sgt Russell G.Gilbert        TTE   KIA   6/3/44 Berlin

S/Sgt Virgil F.Summers        BTG   KIA   6/3/44 Berlin 

S/Sgt Hobart H.Spires        WG   KIA   6/3/44 Berlin

S/Sgt Owen D.Stockton    WG   POW 6/3/44 Berlin

S/Sgt Thomas D.Baer            TG  KIA   6/3/44 Berlin



349th Sqdn.   See MACR #3019 (Micro fiche #1021).  Flying A/C #42 31731 on 

6/3/44



This appears to be a "pick up" crew. Kilmer joined tne 100th on 26/2/44 as 

an indlvidual. Baer was from the original crew of V.Reed. Kovacs was a 

"spare" on original 100th Air echelon. Stockton was from the crew of 

J.W.Brown. Hobart Spires was from the original crew of Sam L. Barr.

A.P.Rule on original crew of Leon R.Morgan.



************************************************************************************************************



LAFACE, SAM JOSEPH

 

Sam Joseph LaFace, of White Plains, NY, died peacefully at home on October 15, 2004 with his loving wife, children and caregiver, Lianova Villon at his side. He was 85. Born September 11, 1919 in Santa Cristina, Reggio Calabria, Italy to the late Francis LaFace and Anna Maria Gangemi. He emigrated from Italy as a child. On November 15, 1952, he married Natalie Guglielmo at Mt. Carmel Church. He is survived by two children: Anna Marie Reisner and husband, Carl Reisner of Croton-on-Hudson, NY and John LaFace of Danbury, CT; four grandchildren: Sam, Jenny, Rebecca and Abby Reisner, all of Croton-on-Hudson, NY. Sam attended White Plains Public Schools. He was captain of WPHS Golf Team, where he won a championship with a hole in one. He graduated in 1939. He attended Westchester Community College and was a member of the first graduating class. He studied meteorology at NYU. He was an honorary member Fourth Degree Knights of Columbus Dumphy Council 450. Sons of Italy; Member VFW Post 5463; Antonino Meucci Lodge #213; Founding Member of NYS Southern Wing Chapter; 8th AirForce Historical Society; Republican District Leader in White Plains and Civil Air Patrol. He enjoyed bowling and was an avid golfer throughout his life. He was a parishioner of Mt. Carmel Church. He was a Foreman at Sonotone Hearing Aids in Elmsford, and a Traffic Light Foreman for City of White Plains. He served from 1942-45 in the Army AirForce during World War II and was stationed at Thorpe Abbott Field in England with the 349th Squadron of the 100th Bomb Group, 8th AirForce. He was decorated for his service as a bombardier in 23 missions over Europe, including the first daylight raid on Berlin and the D-Day invasion over Normandy. Visitation Saturday and Sunday 5-9 pm at McMahon, Lyon & Hartnett Funeral Home. Mass Monday 10:30 am at Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Church in White Plains. Interment Mt. Calvary Cemetery, Greenburgh. In lieu of flowers, please send donations to Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church or Hospice in Palliative Care of Westchester. MCMAHON, LYON & HARTNETT FUNERAL HOME, INC. 491 Mamaroneck Avenue White Plains (914)949-7777